Gary Johnson.
ORLANDO, FLA. — Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson won the Libertarian presidential nomination on second ballot at the Libertarian National Convention today, and while he expects socially liberal voters will gravitate toward his candidacy, particular constituencies like LGBT activists will need to come to him rather than the other way around.
“It’s never been my tactic to reach out to anybody,” Johnson told The Advocate after securing his party’s nomination. “The message that I have is the same message no matter whom I’m addressing, and the most effective reach-out is just saying the things that should be said. In that context, the LBGT [sic] community should embrace what it is that we’re saying.”
Late in the afternoon, the party also nominated former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, Johnson’s hand-picked running mate, as the vice presidential nominee. That came a day after Weld made a direct appeal to LGBT voters, noting his history of nominating the first state Supreme Court justice to hold marriage equality as a constitutional right.
Normally, I’d say doesn’t have a snowball’s chance, but with Trump splitting voters all over the place, nothing is certain anymore.
Is running for office the opposite of ‘going Galt’? Doesn’t that violate some sort of Libertarian ideal? Is Gary Johnson doing Libertarianism wrong?
Quite honestly, I don’t think there’s any way to do it right.
The fact that “particular constituencies like LGBT activists will need to come to him” certainly sounds libertarian enough. Not sure how that will help him, though!
rq, yeah, I was commenting to Rick this morning about that “I don’t reach out” business. He thinks that’s a good idea in politics?
If being a politician means sitting around and waiting for your work to come to you, yes. Personally, I think he has a major lazy streak. But what do I know! :)